The Glee Project: Without You
by TheGleekFromDeathlyHallows
Summary: It was just a sleepover. Five best friends, catching up. Was that worth a punishment? When a fire breaks out, two lives are on the line - and Blake has to choose between his two closest friends. The Glee Project2!
1. Goodbye

**Re-write! Now it's in past tense, sorry if you preferred current tense. If so, message me and I'll give you the link to the original! xo**

* * *

It was a quarter after three when someone shook Tyler awake, and he opened his eyes with a sleepy glare.

It disappeared once he saw that Nellie's hair was burnt, and he was suddenly aware of the stench of smoke.

"Ty, Ty, thank God!"

He knew it was serious because Nellie _never _made comments on her faith.

"Nell, what's happened?" Tyler was struggling to keep calm because itsmelt so damn _bad_, and he could hear Aylin screaming his name but he wasn't completely sure.

"Charlie and-and Aylin woke me up," Nellie's voice was soft, but he could sense the exhaustion. "Everyone's gone, they're all out. I stayed behind to get you, come _on_." She tugged on his hand, but Tyler couldn't move at all.

"Nell..." Tyler's voice was coarse, and he winced. "I'll just slow you down."

Nellie knew that was true, but anyone slowed her down(she was the runner, after all), but she couldn't leave - Tyler was one of her best _friends_. "I'll carry you, please Tyler, don't make me leave you."

"Go, Nell." Tyler pressed, and Aylin screamed again, but he was able to make some words out.

"Tyler - Nell! It's gonna burn! Get out."

Nellie went white, and he knew that she heard it.

"Did you hear that? Go!" Tyler exploded, using the remainder of the energy he had left. But Nellie wasn't running like she should've been.

"You burn, I burn." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but she seemed so quietly fierce that Tyler couldn't react for a moment.

Only for a moment, though.

"Nellie, go..." Tyler begged - Tyler was being pathetic, but he just wanted Nellie to be _safe_.

And then she began coughing these big, hacking coughs that brang tears to Tyler's eyes because this was _his _fault, she stayed for _him_.

"Tyler? Nellie?" Blake (the hero, always the hero! Tyler wished he could be the hero for once.) yelled, his voice echoing through the house. Nellie didn't seem to notice, though...

She was too busy hacking up her air supply.

"Blake!" Tyler tried to yell loud enough, but the smoke was making him choke (where the hell was the damn fire, or was it one of those smoke fires?).

"Tyler!" Blake managed to hear him though, and the door was flung open. Tyler smiled at the show of flames.

Blake was beside Nellie in seconds, and then he held her to his chest. "It'll be okay." Nellie simply coughed in response, and Blake looked up at Tyler - ready to state his case, to say _goodbye_.

But Tyler knew, he _knew_.

Blake could only save one of them in time. He'd hurt his shoulder at football practice and he couldn't hold _both _of them - and he picked Nellie, the girl who was far too nice for her own good - but Blake would never let her die for it.

Neither would Tyler.

"Take her," He was suddenly rasping, and he felt terribly tired. "Just... look after her."

"We love you, Tyler." Blake looked like he was about to cry, and that was new - Blake was always the tough guy of their little group. "I'm so sorry."

Tyler could hear the faint roar of sirens, but he knew that it was too late - he watched as Blake slowly picked up the coughing Nellie with the utmost care.

He gave Tyler a simple nod, but a tear made the trek down his face. "Bye Tyler." And he left, and Nellie managed to give him a tearful smile before continuing to cough like there was no tomorrow (for Tyler, there wouldn't be.)

Tyler died a hero.

* * *

**I tried to make it more emotional this time, did it work, or?  
**

**I cried writing this. I literally felt **_**so **_**awful. I know that it isn't even that good, but I was imagining this happening and I was just crying. **

**So, sorry for making you read this - but if anyone likes it, I may continue this.**

**But to clarify, their little group of friends is; Tyler, Nellie, Aylin, Charlie, Blake. **

**Originally I had Abraham in place of Tyler, but I got around to the bit where Nellie and Tyler are arguing about whether Nellie should leave him or not -**

"**Nell..." Abraham winces. "I'll just slow you down."**

**It doesn't sound as real as it does with Tyler, no? **

**If I do continue with this, the next chapter will focus on Blake and Nellie - or Aylin and Charlie, I'm not all too sure how to do it.**

**On one hand, we get to see how the people closest to the incident react to Tyler's death (crey). **

**On the other, we get to see two people further away from the situation observe how it affects the two closest people. **

**The other TGP people will come in (a number from both seasons).**

**If you need me to clarify: Tyler, Nellie, Blake, Aylin and Charlie were having a sleepover when a fire started - Tyler's a deep sleeper, so he slept through it - Blake, Aylin and Charlie got out, but Nellie insisted on trying to wake Tyler up (bad idea, nobody's ever done it), she basically forced Blake out the door and spent half-an-hour trying to wake Tyler up, and who bloody knows why she lasted that long, but I'm God to these guys. Or the Jewish and Muslim equivalent to the guys who belong to those religions. (Aylin, Tyler and someone told me Michael was Jewish? And whoever else, I know Maxfield is Christian or at least Catholic, but that's all I know for sure.)**

**Anyways, let's put an end to my normal rambles. **


	2. Hold On I

**Remember how I said don't hold your breath?**

**I spoke too soon.**

**So, this chapter focuses primarily on both Charlie and Aylin - mostly Charlie. It takes place directly after the first chapter, and I don't know. Where are my tissues? I shouldn't be doing this. Fuck**_**Fuck**_**Fuck. **

**If you want to go back and read the new prologue, go do that. I haven't changed anything major, I've just re-written it in past tense! I tried to write this chapter in present tense and it was a **_**mess**_**.**

**Note: Italics are flashbacks. They're in third person, as is this entire chapter.**

**All of the chapter's will be relatively small, since I find writing large chapters (such as the ones in TGP:RYG.) is incredibly time consuming, and I feel like once the guys get back to school (Charlie and Aylin will return first, followed by Blake, obviously.) the chapters will get (hopefully,) longer.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.**

* * *

Aylin was holding onto his hand as if it were her only lifeline - and perhaps, at that very moment it was.

He wasn't really sure how exactly the best day of his life turned into the worst, but it did.

They were surrounded by fire fighters, the only still figures in a battle field.

... That was a bad simile.

"They'll all be fine, won't they?" Aylin's voice was quiet, it was almost _childlike_. The innocence that shone in her eyes almost broke Charlie's heart.

Charlie couldn't answer. The answer would just break Aylin and he _couldn't_ do that to her.

He just squeezed her hand, and her face crumpled.

* * *

"_Where's Tyler?" Charlie barely managed to pause the video game him and Blake were playing to glance over at Aylin, who's question was indeed very interesting._

"_He's getting the pizza, isn't he?" Blake asked, throwing down his controller. "Otherwise, Nellie'd be gone by now." He gave Nellie a pointed look, who rolled her eyes in response before continuing to tune her guitar._

"_I don't think that thing can get any more tuned, Nell." Charlie told her and then resumed the game. _

"_Oi! No fair. Cheater!" Blake scrambled to pick up his controller, and then shot Charlie's character dead. _

"_Even when I cheat, you always win." Charlie pouted and turned off the XBOX. "I'm hungry."_

"_You're always hungry." Nellie and Aylin corrected and grinned at each other._

_It sometimes scared Charlie how in sync those two could be._

"_Pizza delivery!" Tyler poked his head in the door, and Charlie basically bolted towards him. "... I missed you too?" _

"_Pizza!" Charlie dragged Tyler into the room and took one of the pizza boxes. "Tyler. Did I ever tell you how much I appreciated you?" _

"_You just appreciate me and my pizza discount." Tyler retorted and took the box back. "That's Aylin's. With the prawns, which you're allergic too." Aylin skipped over, gave Tyler a kiss on the cheek, took her box and skipped back over to the couch._

"_Don't get anything on my couch!" Nellie warned as she put her guitar back on its stand. "Because Mom will make me pay to replace it and I'm trying to save up for a car." _

"_At least you have a job to get money." Blake said as he put the controllers back in the cupboard which held all the XBOX related stuff. "My parents won't let me get a damn job." _

"_That's your sob story?" Tyler arched an eyebrow as he passed Charlie the right pizza box. "Now, this probably won't kill you."_

_Charlie slapped him on the back, grinning. "Let's hope not."_

* * *

The irony.

"Who's in the house?" Aylin let out a squeak, and Charlie glanced up at the fire-fighter that stood in front of them.

"U-Uh, our friend Blake went in because our two other friends, Nellie and Tyler hadn't come out." Charlie stuttered through the sentence, and felt overwhelmed by the tears in his eyes.

Why wasn't he in there? Why wasn't he helping Blake? Together, maybe they'd have been able to bring both Nellie and Tyler out and they all would've ended up _safe and sound_.

"We'll do our best to save your friends," The fire-fighter grinned reassuringly and sped off to the other workers.

Aylin sobbed into his chest, and Charlie brushed his lips across her forehead. "I love you." He whispered, and Aylin's sobs ceased for a moment.

"What?" Aylin glanced up at him, her tear-stained face still magnificently beautiful (at least to Charlie. Aylin would always be beautiful.) "Charlie, what did you say?"

Charlie frowned lightly as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I love you."

"I-I love you, too, Charlie." Aylin smiled blissfully - and for just a moment, they both had forgotten where they were. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that!"

"We got a live one!" One of the firemen called. "Get a stretcher, he's a feisty one!"

"I am fine!" Blake yelled angrily, twisting against the fireman's grip as he forced Blake out of the house. "Go! Get Nellie, get _Tyler_! He's still up in the room! Please. Please!" This boy was panicked, this boy was not the Blake Jenner whom Charlie knew.

Charlie just knew it was bad, and then that little wall around himself and Aylin came crashing to the ground as they watched Blake being loaded onto a stretcher and rushed into the ambulance.

"I'm sorry." The paramedic stopped besides the two friends (oh man, what _were _they now?) and when Blake spoke, he sounded almost _broken_.

"We're just glad you're okay, dude." Charlie offered sincerely as he offered his fist.

Blake bumped his fist with a faint grin and turned to Aylin, who all-but launched herself at him for a hug.

"Thank you for trying, Blake." She murmured into the side of his neck, once again fighting back tears. "I'm so sorry."

Blake dragged his hand through her hair and closed his eyes slowly. "Don't be, Aylin. I'll be out soon, just you wait." And then he added, glancing over at Charlie, "I'm glad you're both okay."

"Us too, bro." Aylin slowly removed herself from Blake's embrace, and the paramedic steered Blake towards one of the three ambulances.

"C'mere," Charlie offered, and opened his arms.

Aylin took the offer and hid in Charlie's arms, hid away from the battlefield around them.

"We're gonna be all right, Aylin. We are all gonna be just fine." Charlie stroked her cheek with a faint smile. "You, me and Blake are going to be just fine, trust me."

"What about Nell and Ty?" Aylin mumbled against his chest, afraid of the answer. _Dreading the answer. _"What about them, Charlie?"

"We can only wait and see," Charlie answered, his words simple. "They'll be fine, they _will _be fine."

Aylin seemed to believe him, and that was good enough for Charlie, at least for now.

Charlie's heart sunk as a fireman walked out of the house, holding a motionless Nellie against his chest.

* * *

**Uh.**

**I.**

**Don't.**

**Know.**

**Please.**

**Don't.**

**Kill.**

**Me.**

**I was watching the season finale of Greys Anatomy as I wrote this up, so I was already crying. **

**Sigh.**

**The tears.**


	3. Hold On II

**Okay, so I was struggling with how I was going to handle the transgender issue. Obviously, Tyler's too young to do it with parent permission, and eeh. **

**So, in this story; Tyler was born a boy, and he's into boys. I took the easy way out, but I hope you'll still enjoy! x) **

**I will write a story incorporating Tyler's transgender-ness, it'll probably be a Michellie fic and Tyler'll be close with Nellie so we'll hear a bit from him.**

**No, I won't start that until the holidays. :3**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing apart from the plot and Dominic.**

**... Sam Evans makes a cameo.**

**Also, this chapter is a bit longer than the others. I'm slowly lengthening my chapters.**

* * *

"Hey! Hey!" The paramedic glared at him, and Blake stared back. "Any news on my friends? On Nellie?"

The paramedic (Dominic, his name tag read.) slowly glanced at the radio on one of the cabinets and listened for a moment. "The girl's been found. They think she may have substantial damage to her lungs and she's lost consciousness."

"Thanks," Blake quipped sarcastically, his jaw clenched.

_It was his fault. _That much, Blake was sure of. He should've made Nellie go out and he would've carried Tyler out of the house and they would all be _fine_.

"It ain't your fault, kid." Dominic commented randomly as he fiddled with the radio. "You went back in. That took guts, you've probably saved her from dying." He cast Blake a glance over his shoulder and shrugged. "Don't wallow on the 'what if's, it'll kill ya."

Blake slowly lowered himself into a lying position and sighed heavily. "Man... I just, Nellie shouldn't have stayed for Tyler. It should've been me, y'know?"

Dominic held up a hand and Blake blinked in response. "Your other friend's name was Tyler, right?" Blake nodded, "He's been found."

"And?" Blake shouldn't have allowed himself to believe, that everything would be _all right_, because nothing would ever be all right _ever _again.

"I'm sorry, mate," Dominic started, frowning. "He didn't make it."

Blake banged his head across the pillow on the stretcher. "Any news on Nellie?" He sounded strained, he sounded almost _pained _but he _would _not cry. Jenner's didn't cry.

Dominic sucked his teeth and fiddled with the radio again. "She's stabilised, but still unconscious." He sighed and left the radio on that frequency and turned to Blake. "Tell me about them. Your friends. Nellie, Tyler and the other two."

"Charlie and Aylin," Blake corrected idly and paused for a moment. "Tyler... he's a really funny guy. You know, he's a real mixed bag. Funny, but hardworking. Uh, down-to-earth but crazy... he's the best of both worlds, really. But he's too harsh on himself, but if someone else is harsh on him, he makes excuses."

"He can't take the heat, huh?" Dominic observed, sounding somewhat bemused.

Blake shrugged. "I guess."

"Okay, uh... How about Nellie?"

Blake sat up and sighed. "She's like my little sister, dude. She struggled with depression since she was thirteen, but she's mostly sorted out now. She's really like artsy fartsy and stuff," Dominic chuckled at his wording and Blake grinned faintly. "She's real good with taking photos, too. Like, some of her stuff is so good, man.

"Charlie next, huh. He's real goofy, and handy with computers and crap." Blake paused and rolled his neck. "He's had a crush on Aylin for-freaking-ever. No joke, when we first met Aylin, Charlie just fell for her. Just like that, he dumped his 'girlfriend' for her. We were twelve." His tone was dry, but he was smiling in remembrance. "I don't think Lily ever forgave Aylin."

Dominic arched an eyebrow and snorted. "Sounds oh-so-dramatic for twelve year olds."

Blake nodded. "Yeah, it was. Big blowout, everyone hated Charlie and Aylin for a full two hours!" he rolled his eyes, and like Charlie and Aylin had done only ten minutes before - he forgot where he was, and what was happening. "Lily Mae was the only one who held a grudge, and she still hates Aylin. But I think she has more bullshit reasons."

"So, Aylin's last right?" Dominic reminded him and Blake exhaled deeply.

"Her mom is really strict, like she's not allowed to use tampons because she thinks that they'll take Aylin's virginity..." Both males pulled a face. "But she's really cool. Like, she flirts a lot but she loves to joke around with me, Charlie an-and... Tyler." Blake's smile fell, and he gripped the sides of the stretcher a little more tightly.

"You know you can cry, mate. I don't give a crap." Dominic shrugged, and Blake understood why he wasn't a doctor or nurse - he had very low bedside manner. "Really, I won't tell anyone."

Blake stared at him, and blinked twice. "I don't need to cry," he retorted, his voice breaking. "My Dad, he'd kill me if he found o- Oh God, what about Tyler's parents? It's his birthday in two weeks. Me and Nellie bought his birthday present yesterday! Oh, my God... Shit! I forgot about his mom. Tyler's her only kid, she's infertile now... Shit, shit, _shit _dude! This'll kill her!"

Dominic arched an eyebrow and leaned back. "Or you can freak out, I'm cool with either."

"Shut up," Blake sighed and gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, I'm just... I don't - Tyler... I've known him since I was like, one. Our parents played tennis against each other or some crap, and we've been friends for as long as I remember... and I, I don't know how to say goodbye." He shook his head softly, and squeezed his eyes shut. "I can't say goodbye."

"Then don't," Dominic shrugged carelessly. "Who says you have to say goodbye, mate? Tyler's always gonna be with you. You might not see him but he will _be there_." He leant over and gave Blake a pat on the shoulder.

Blake hesitated, and then glanced around the ambulance, as if trying to see if Tyler was there. "... How far away are we?"

Another shrug, and Dominic pounded on the plastic window separating the driver's seat and the mini-hospital. "How long, Sam?"

Sam glanced through the plastic at Dominic and shrugged. "Two minutes. This guy ain't a rush order like the girl so I haven't used the sirens, sorry dude." He directed the last part at Blake with a sheepish smile.

"Nell's already at the hospital?" Blake asked, feeling somewhat relieved.

"Yup. I think they'd be treating her by now, they sped past ages ago." Sam answered, his smile a bit more full.

"Eyes on the road, Evans." Dominic reminded him and then leaned back on the wall of the car and saw Blake's relieved expression, "If she was in there any longer, I don't think she'd have made it. You're a hero, Blake."

Blake stared at him for a moment. "Wanna tell my Dad that?" His tone was only half-joking, but if his Dad heard that he was still hanging out with Tyler, he'd probably would disown Blake.

After all, Jenner's didn't associate with 'fags'.

"I think your Dad will understand, I mean, you saved a life." Dominic frowned slightly.

"My Dad is really strict, and when Tyler came out of the closet, Dad told me to stop hanging out with him." Blake nodded slightly, totally ashamed of his Dad. "I didn't, he was my best friend at the time. I wasn't gonna ditch him just because he was gay. My Dad... he's just one of those people who see the world in black and white. Oh, and he's super religious. Unlike my Mom, who loves that I'm still friends with - well, she loved that I was still best friends with Tyler." He forced a laugh.

"Then to hell with him."

"He's my dad, man." Blake pointed out. "I just can't disappoint him... not anymore."

"Blake, you seem like a smart guy, so I'll say this; people like your Dad, they're not... not good, but we live in Lima. There is going to be small-minded people, but you need to push past that." Dominic advised as the ambulance slowly came to a stop. "We're about to go back in the outside world, you ready for that? We can stay here for a little bit. You can do whatever."

"Yeah, all right... Can I have a sec?" Blake requested sheepishly, and Dominic nodded and left without another word.

And Blake allowed himself to cry, to grieve for his longest friend, he finally allowed himself to be a normal, emotional teenager and not the put-together, popular, perfect son, Blake Jenner.

He finally allowed himself to be weak, if only for a moment.

Because, you know what?

Nothing was going to be the _same_.

* * *

**Eh. Not as much of a twist as the last two, but I didn't want them randomly arriving at the hospital, and we get a little back-story for Blake.**

**Yay? x3**

**Next chapter is Nellie.**

**... I'm either going to cry or totally hate myself for it, because Nellie has to say goodbye to Tyler and it's just going to be fdjksm ugh.**

**Okay, I'll explain; Nellie's kind of in her head at the moment, since she's unconscious. In her head, she has Tyler and only Tyler, and Tyler has to convince her to fight for her life, while Nellie doesn't want to leave him behind. And then her adoptive sister (Jamie) comes in and tries to convince Nellie to go back to her life, because she's not quite done.**

**... creys.**

**Also, Sam pops up in two chapters from now again, as does another TGP2 contestant-turned-teenage-Lima-resident.**

**I don't know why I've decided to include Sam, but I needed a driver and I needed a plot for someone and I decided to use a familiar face and use him for a kind of plot. **

**BUT DANI SHAY GOT KICKED OFF. WTF. WTF. WTF. WTF.**

**Life doesn't make sense any more, guise. **

**Can I just make an observation, though?**

**Michael/Nellie - Damsay.**

**Shanna/Blake - Camrissa.**

**Michael/Blake - Dameron.**

**Nellie/Dani - von Pearce. (I ship them as friends, tho.)**

**Am I right, or no?**


End file.
